If you have not seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and wish to not know of any details yet, do NOT read further ahead. I repeat, DO NOT READ AHEAD. This review WILL contain spoilers. While you might have read the book, a film adaptation nevertheless provides a different style to the story and thus you might choose to wait until you've savored the experience before knowing too much. Please leave this blog or view another post if you do not wish to read on. I am not responsible for your actions. You have been warned.

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Like many fans of the boy wizard, I stood in line for several hours last night to see the midnight premier of the final film (or rather, part 1 of the final film) in the famous movie series that has captured the attention of the world almost as much as the books have. I wore a "Deathly Hallows" t-shirt and carried a wand I made out of wood, paper, and paint. I was with a group of friends from school, several of whom sported similar shirts and wands. Needless to say, our group was that of some very dedicated Potter maniacs, eager to sit down and witness together the beginning of the end.

Most are aware at this point that Warner Bros. decided to split the seventh film adaptation into two parts, the given reason being so they could stay faithful to the novel while also balancing out just how much goes on in the book. If you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about -- revelations about Dumbledore, the secret of the Deathly Hallows, and, of course, the incredible and long-awaited battle of Hogwarts. One question that many had on their minds was just where the split would occur. Some suggested after Harry, Ron, and Hermione are captured but before are taken to Malfoy Manor. Others thought it was more likely to be after Dobby's death. I remember one rather silly suggestion that the entire movie would cover nearly three-fourths of the book, and Part 2 would be nothing but the epic battle.

Then, it became official: Part 1 would end at the moment Voldemort steals the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's tomb, claiming the "unbeatable" wand's power for himself. I don't believe Warner Bros. could  have picked a better spot to split the two parts. Here, really, is where everything changed in the book. Here is what helped solidify Harry's decision to continue hunting Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes and forget about his own selfish quest for the Hallows. By splitting the movie off at this crucial point, the audience is left with the desire to truly see the second part and see the journey to the end. I think splitting the film at this part got the reaction the cast and crew would've wanted from us: groaning. As soon as the movie ended many in the audience, including me, were rather dismayed and wanted to continue. The fact we did only means we all will be in line for the second and final part in July.

As for why the split was considered in the first place, it's obvious that the film benefited from this in that it allowed the film crew to create a movie that was incredibly faithful to the novel, perhaps more so than even the first movie. Plot wise, it had everything that was necessary: the flight of the Seven Potters, Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour giving the trio gifts left by Dumbledore, Ron abandoning Harry and Hermione and his ultimate return, Godric's Hollow, the skirmish at the Lovegoods' house, the battle at Malfoy Manor. It was all there. It even allowed the cast to say some of the best lines from the book, including George Weasley's hilarious "saint-like" gimmick. Without a doubt, Part 1 was the most faithful to the novel of all the films so far. This Potter fan is hoping just as much faithfulness is seen in the second part.

Characterization was at its best in this film. First, I'd like to discuss Ron Weasley. The films had a habit of portraying Ron as a bit of a bumbler and more cowardly than his book counterpart really was. Thankfully, his character improved and, true to the novel, reached its peak in this film. Rupert Grint stands out among Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in his greatest moments; destroying the locket (a rather more terrifying and incredible scene than anything I pictured while reading), and fighting back against Bellatrix Lestrange as she tortures Hermione. Of course, the other two had their shining moments as well -- Dan with regards to Harry's grief over Dobby's death, and Emma's portrayal of Hermione during the "camping" scenes. Other stunning performances included Tom Felton's frightened Draco Malfoy, Jason Issac as Draco's father Lucius, and Ralph Fiennes' continued and increasingly terrifying Lord Voldemort.

After all that, though, the movie isn't without some disappointment. In the past, I always found several things about each film in the franchise that bothered me. These included missing plot points, characterization, and let's not forget the absolutely pointless and highly needless attack on the Burrow in the sixth film. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 isn't perfect. However, it stands alone in that there's only one gripe I have about it. Just one. And it's the matter of Dumbledore. One of my favorite parts of the book was how Rowling wrote Dumbledore's character. He was not always, as many, like Harry, saw him -- the epitome of goodness and wisdom -- but instead was human. He made a grave mistake in his youth that cost him the life of his sister and lived with the guilt of it for his entire life. He sought the Deathly Hallows alongside former friend Grindelwald in a quest to rule over Muggles "for the greater good." All of these revelations, as well as the fact Dumbledore did not adequately explain to Harry what to do, was a major focus of the plot of the book.

Almost all of that was disregarded in the film. Sure, it was mentioned Dumbledore knew Grindelwald, and that he lived in Godric's Hollow but save for one or two moments in which these things only mildly disturbed Harry, it was not a focus of the movie at all. I had been looking forward to this since reading the book and, unfortunately, was rather disappointed. However, I'd like to stress at this moment that this is my only problem with the movie, and it isn't detrimental to the movie as a whole. For all I know, Warner Bros. might address this in Part 2, so I still have hope.

There's still one final film to go before the Harry Potter series comes to an end. That being said, it's quite difficult to judge Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 without seeing the second part. I'm not going to give this film any sort of score because doing so would be very difficult. It's not perfect, but it's far from mediocre. It's clear that the cast and crew wanted to create something that not just their fans, but they themselves would never forget, and they gave it their all. Whatever flaws I might find in the film, its strengths far outweigh them. Besides, the book is there for me to fill in any missing gaps the movie might gloss over. The film is an excellent adaptation that manages to stand on its own two feet as an individual work. That, I believe, is the greatest beauty of Part 1.

All I have left to say is this -- it's sure going to be an agonizing eight months.

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A/N: Wow, that was longer than I expected. If you managed to read all that and not get bored, I'm flattered. Truly.